Process of treating steel.



No. 686,208. Patented Nov. 5, IBM.

W. E. CUYAN. PROCESS OF TREATING STE EL.

(Application filed July 26. 1901.)

(No Model.)

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NlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM E. COYAN, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF TREATING STEEL.

PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,208, dated November 5, 1901.

Application filed July'26, 1901- Serial No. 69,779. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM E. OOYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Treating Steel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to processes of tempering and hardening steel; and it consists of a process for hardening the heads and wearingfaces of steel rails or the flanges of beams, girders, 850., and the removal of the scale therefrom by treating such heads or flanges with some cooling mediums'uch as water, oil, or brine--and reworking them aftersuch cooling.

The present mode of rolling rails is to heat an ingot to a high temperature, then run it through the breaking-down rolls, giving it about four passes, from whence it is passed to the finishing-rolls. While the above treatment is straightforward and cheap, it produced rails with many defects. One of these defects arises from the finishing at a very high temperature and then allowing the rail to cool undisturbed. As the head of the rail is so much heavier than the web, irregular strains are produced which weaken the rail. Another defect is the porous structure of the finished rail, which seriously affects the wearing qualities of the head. fect arises from the rapid rolling, which does not allow sufficient time for'the rail to drop its scales, which in consequence are rolled into the rail, thereby also affecting the wearing-face of the rail. While only rails have been mentioned, the same remarks apply, especially the first and third, to all girders having light webs and heavy heads or flanged parts. My process is designed to avoid all of these defects and increase the life of rails by decreasing the grain and porosity, decreasing strains, and removing the scale.

This process is carried out by the simple and novel mechanism fully described in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof, in which the figure is a front elevation showing the relative arrangement of the apparatus.

The letter A designates a set of rolls numbered 1, 2, and 3, respectively, from the top down. The rolls are driven by any of the ordinary means. (Not shown.) .A water- Still a third demain 4 is located near the rolls A and has a pipe 5 connected thereto, which extends to a point opposite the line of contact of the rolls 1 and 2 and adjacent to the first set of grooves 6 thereof. The pipe 5 is equipped with a spray 7, comprising a curved perforated pipe located to partially surround the ball of the rail as it passes through the rolls. A trough 8 is located under the spray 7 and in position to catch the water falling therefrom. A pipe 9 conducts the water to a sewer. An oil-tank 10 is located near the rolls, which tank is fitted with a pipe 11. The pipe 11 has two branches 12 and 13, which extend to points opposite the lines of contact of the rolls 1 and 2 and 2 and 3, respectively. The branch 12 has aspray14 mounted the reon,which is placed opposite the second set of grooves 15 on the rolls. This spray is identical in construction with 7 and is located to spray oil on the face of the unfinished rail as it passes through the rolls. The branch 13 is provided with two sprays 16 and 17, which are identical with 14 and are located to spray oil on the rail on its third and fifth passes through the rolls 2 and 3. A trough 18 is placed on the floor to catch the dripping oil from the sprays 16 and 17. Two

open steam-pipes 19 are directed to throw intersecting jets of steam into the trough 18 to prevent the oil from burning.

, The apparatus illustrated is adapted for using both oil and water; but in case water alone is employed the sprays 14 and 16 would also be connected to a source of water instead of to the oil-tank 10, and the trough 18 would be connected to a sewer.

In carrying out my process a heated ingot from the breaking-downrolls out of which a rail is to be formed is taken and passed through the first set of grooves on the lower finishing-rolls. The partially-finished rail is then passed back through the first set of grooves on the upper finishing-rolls and water or oil applied by a spray, dipping, or other suitable means to the head of the rail, especiallythe face, care being taken to prevent it touching the web. This application of water or oil partially chills the head and loosens the scale thereon. The heat of the head of the rail and the web will then run quickly out to the face and draw the temper. The still unfinished rail is then repassed through the lower finishing-rolls through the second set of grooves, thereby reducing it and breaking off the scale. During the latter pass the oil or water is again applied, when the heat will again run out to the face the same as before and draw the temper. The operation is again repeated by passing the rail through the second set of grooves on the upper rolls and the cooling medium applied in the same manner as before. A final pass is made through the third grooves on the lower rolls and the head again chilled more severely than before, after which the rail is carried away and left to cool. Mention is made of water and oil for cooling, but any other medium could be employed which would enable one to quickly cool the face below the temperature of the web to obtain the alter nate cooling and drawing of the temper be-3 In this connection compressed air might be mentioned as giving some of the advantages re-' tween the passes through the rolls.

sulting from the use of water, oil, or brine.

, The advantages of my process briefly summarized are as follows:

heated, and reduced, which give all of the beneficial results of reheating and working the steel, as well as decreasing the temperature at which it is worked and finished. The

advantages of this are too well understood to need further emphasis.

Third. The temperature of the head of the rail is decreased and strains prevented during the final process of cooling.

I have found from actual experience that the whole head of a rail, as well as the face, is rendered very tough, fine-grained, hard, and durable by the foregoing process.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. The process of treating the heads of rails which consists,in applyinga cooling medium such as oil or water to the head of a hot unfinished rail, and then passing said rail through the rolls reducing said head, substantially as described.

2. The process of treating steel which consists in taking a hot unfinished ingot comthe temper to run out, and then passing said unfinished ingot through the rolls reducing said heavy portions, substantially as described.

3. The process of removing the scale from and tempering thewearing-face of a rail, which consists in taking a hot unfinished rail and applying a cooling medium such as water or oil to the head thereof, then running said rail through the rolls reducing it, then applying said cooling medium again to said head and then passing said rail again through said rolls reducing said head, substantially as described.

4. The process of treating the wearing-faces of rails which consists, in taking a hot unfinished rail and applying a cooling medium such as water or oil to the head thereof, then passingsaid rail through the rolls reducing the said head, then cooling the head again with said medium, then passing said rail a second time through the rolls reducing said head, First. The scale is removed from the rail' and the working of it into the face prevented. Second. The head is alternately cooled,

then cooling said head again with said medium, then passing said rail a third time through the rolls, reducing said head, and then chilling said head more severely than before with said medium, substantially as described.

5. The process of treating the wearing-faces of rails, which consists in taking a hot unfinished rail and applying a cooling medium such as water or oil to the head of said rail, then passing said rail through rolls reducing said head, then applying said medium a second time to said head, then passing said rail a second time through the rolls reducing said head, then applying said medium a third time to said head, then passing said rail a third time through said rolls reducing said head, and then applying said medium a fourth time to said head, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM E. COYAN.

Witnesses:

BENNETT S. J ONES, E. F. OAVERLY. 

